‘Forever Evil #2’ And Other Comics Of Note, October 2nd

Lex Luthor is not in a good mood… and can you blame him? A full review of Forever Evil #2, plus looks at books from DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Top Cow, IDW and Valiant under the jump.

Mostly this book works because Geoff Johns can cut loose. There are two plotlines that intertwine here; Luthor gearing up and finding a sidekick, and the Teen Titans getting their asses utterly handed to them by an evil Flash and Atom. But what’s fun about it are the other plot points being teased; needless to say, the Justice League isn’t quite dead, and the Crime Syndicate of America isn’t on Earth 1 for giggles… they’re running from something, and it’s on its way here.

David Finch, meanwhile, enjoys playing with the art and does some good action work. In all, it’s a fun book that keeps a wide scope with a tight focus: In other words, it’s what you want out of a big crossover.

So that’s one book for the sub pile. What about what else is on tap this week?

Vertigo’s new book asks what might happen when the apocalypse is caused by… well, you’ll just have to see for yourself, but suffice to say, whatever this has been marketed as, that’s not the actual book. It’s a pretty interesting and straightforward story, and worth starting with from the beginning, especially for Francesco Trifogli’s artwork.

Pete, man, welcome back. Matt Kindt and Marco Rudy tell a very… elaborate story of Peter Parker and ninety-nine villains, and it’s a mix of strange, gorgeously rendered art and gleeful messing around in continuity. It’s also a good book for people who want to read a Spidey story without jumping into an ongoing, so for Marvel fans, it’s well worth picking up.

Andy Diggle and Adi Granov juggle a book set in three different time periods: 1945, at the end of the war; 1968, at the height of the space race; and now. How the three are intertwined is an open question, but it’s a fun, fast-paced Cap book, and Granov’s art is beautiful stuff. Highly recommended.

There are two kinds of Max books; ones that explore issues and stories that Marvel can’t in their main line of books, and standard Marvel books with more gore and swear words, because that’s mature! Sadly Fantomex falls into the latter category. Shawn Crystal’s art is light-hearted enough to make the book a little less dour than it could be, but Andrew Hope’s script struggles to nail the Danger: Diabolik! tone it so obviously wants to have.

Mike Costa gets to show off a little here, juggling the naive teenage X-Men and the imperious Superior Spider-Man to hilarious effect. And, of course, there’s the question of what Doc Ock is doing where he shouldn’t be, and why he’s practically glowing with gamma radiation… Definitely a hoot and well worth picking up.

Vertigo’s one-shot anthologies continue, but where Time Warp was consistently fun, this struggles with being actually scary. There’s some absolutely gorgeous art on display from pros like Cliff Chiang, but the writing often struggles to be anything other than mildly creepy. Worth picking up if you’re a fan of the artists, but ultimately less memorable than it should be.

Dark Horse’s first foray into sleazy, trashy horror is, well, sleazy and trashy. Alex Di Campi and Chris Peterson try pretty hard to give it a cheesy movie vibe, and they largely succeed, but to be honest, there are so many comics like this already on the stands, this isn’t quite doing enough yet to stand out.

Tim Seeley and Mike Norton tackle a cross between occult horror and teenage heroics. Picking up where previous minis left off, it’s a pretty funny and engaging little book, but it feels like it’ll need a few more issues to get to where it needs to be.

Rob Levin’s script is pretty much “samurai vs. vampires” and… well, that’s pretty much where it stops. Studio HIVE has some nice art, but there’s just not enough to this book to recommend it, even with Image taking the time to reprint it and give it a push.

No, it’s not George Costanza summoning the pulp hero, it’s the Shadow operating in the modern day. The real star here, this being a Dynamite pulp book, is Colton Worley’s art, especially the layouts, but David Liss has an interesting story, at least, even if this doesn’t feel like anything groundbreaking.

The revival of this monochrome Bat anthology is a welcome one, to say the least. Whether it’s Michael Uslan and Dave Bullock riffing on 1930s Batbooks and silent films, or Rafael Alberquerque delivering a slightly different story than you might expect, it’s a great set of stories and well worth the five bucks.

Man, this book is weird to read. The bones of what we know as “Star Wars” are there, but in… very different form. Mostly this shows that George used to be much better at editing his scripts, but to be honest, Mike Mayhew’s art makes this worth reading almost on its own. A must for Star Wars completists, and a lot of fun for everyone else.

James Asmus’s take on the World’s Worst Superhero Team continues to be a hoot, whether it’s unleashing a goat that’s every devil-worshipper’s worst nightmare or a truly disgusting and hilarious moment of gore. There’s not a more madcap romp on the stands right now, and it’s seriously worth getting if you like laughs with your superheroics.

Joe Casey’s work is pretty clever, reviving these characters, but it’s the Amazing Grace plotline that leads this issue that sells it; Casey relentlessly takes out “alpha male” dirtbags, and it’s a hoot. A solid anthology comic with great art that continues to be worth adding to the sub list.

Mike Costa continues to write one of the best espionage stories in comics. If you like spy stories, especially ones that don’t shy from murky issues? Pick this book up, ASAP.

Jim Zub takes over for Valiant’s voodoo hero, and the results are… well, put it to you this way, Shadowman winds up having to chase a bunch of drunken, possessed idiots into a Halloween party before having to fight a pug. It’s that kind of book, but it’s a fun switch and it makes me look forward to more from Zub on this title.

Lights Out kicks off with Relic pretty much mopping the floor with the whole Corps. Welp, nice knowing you guys. One assumes it will eventually whittle down to just Kyle Rayner, but honestly, there’s very little urgency here right now: We’ve got too many new characters and too much has happened recently to get invested. It’s a solid book, but one suspects there will be some trade-waiting for some readers with this crossover.

Andrea Sorrentino’s art is gorgeous, as always, and Jeff Lemire actually pays off the mess Ollie is in very effectively. But the real surprise in this book is the arrival of… well, we won’t spoil the book, but suffice to say Arrow fans might want to pick this up.

So I am just kind of getting back into comic books after a lengthy layoff (only reading Saga right now, which I quite enjoy) but I am looking for a good book to share with my 4 year old daughter who is really into superheroes right now so I want to strike while the iron is hot. Any comic fan dads with any suggestions?

Thanks!

/love this section by the way, especially the last few weeks as I try and decide what I should start reading

As far as hero books for kids, Takio might be a good choice (girls in grade school with superpowers.) Also, if she’s into any of the Cartoon Network shows, those probably have a book. Lil’ Gotham is good, Itty Bitty Hellboy is adorable, Batman ’66 might be a good option as well.

Also look into the Showcase collections of Silver Age comics; they’re black and white on newsprint, HUGE piles of comics for cheap. Just, uh, flip through to make sure nobody is being ordered to make a hero a sandwich.

If you don’t mind trade paperback collections, I will suggest Tiny Titans. It’s the DC teen heroes (the Teen Titans, Batgirl, etc) de-aged and attending Sidekick Elementary. Excellent read. The creators of it went on to do the short-lived Superman Family Adventures (v1 is out now, v2 won’t release until early 2014) & Itty Bitty Hellboy.

I wanted to second those Showcase collections. My girlfriend had an extended hospital stay a few months back and bought stacks of those to occupy me. I almost wished I’d bought colored pencils to be honest. They’re like really great coloring books and cheap enough that if you want to do that, go for it. Unfortunately I never tracked down the Martian Manhunter one…

also, the Marvel “Avengers: Endless Wartime” OGN by Warren Ellis officially comes out today, but due to a Diamond fuck-up (heheh) my LCS got it like a month early. I read it already, it’s great. I automatically buy anything Warren Ellis comes out with. no matter the medium.

As per Shadowman, Jim Zub is only doing #11, which I did enjoy with Jack’s money troubles and Dr. Mirage showing up. Next month’s issue will be an anthology issue featuring Ales Kot, Clayton Crain, Chris Sebela, Mico Suayan, & Niel Dvorak. In December, Peter Milligan & Roberto De La Torre take over as the more permanent creative team.

God is Dead #2
Superior Foes of Spiderman #4
Quantum and Woody #4
Forever Evil 2
All New X-men #17
Mara #6
Mocking Dead #2
Fantomex Max #1 (I agree with the review. I was pumped for it and it was just way flatter than I felt it would be.)
Green Arrow #24